


Booths

by Kass



Series: Stargate Atlantis fanworks [75]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Jewish!Radek, Multi, Sukkot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 09:52:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12273990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kass/pseuds/Kass
Summary: "Schach," Zelenka said again. "And for your information, it's Hebrew, not Czech."





	Booths

"You need what?" Rodney asked. "And have I mentioned lately that Czech is the most ridiculous language?"

"Schach," Zelenka said again. "And for your information, it's Hebrew, not Czech."

"Still not intelligible," Rodney grumbled to John, though more quietly. Bitching at Zelenka for speaking Czech was one thing, but bitching at him for speaking Hebrew was another. He was perfectly willing to be considered a jerk in the lab -- took a perverse kind of pleasure in it, sometimes, if truth be told -- but there were limits.

John gave him a look that said he was predictable. Or possibly the look was intended to say that John found his snarkiness attractive and was going to pounce on him later and suck his dick. John's faces were hard to interpret sometimes.

Teyla interrupted Rodney's hopeful reverie. "Schach means branches, yes?"

Rodney blinked. "And you know this because..."

"Because Radek was telling me about his people's harvest festival last night." Teyla's smile was warm and she placed her hand on Zelenka's arm for a moment. Not for the first time, Rodney wondered whether there were something between them.

"For a week, at the harvest full moon, we are to dwell in booths," Zelenka explained. "Little temporary houses. The roofs must be made of vegetative material, severed from the ground, through which one can glimpse the stars."

John gave a little laugh. "Different set of stars overhead."

"True," Zelenka agreed. "My ancestors would not have recognized these constellations."

"You're going to rough it for a week," Rodney said dubiously.

"I may return to my quarters to sleep," Zelenka admitted, "but it is customary to dine in the sukkah, and to host visitors, and to welcome the ancestors."

Now Ronon looked interested. "Ancestors?"

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow night," Zelenka promised. "Meanwhile, I'll be building this afternoon, and would welcome assistance."

"None of us is Jewish," John pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Zelenka assured him. "The engineering challenge is not so great, but it is easier with many hands."

"We will help you," Teyla said firmly.

"Do you drink in this booth?" Ronon wanted to know.

Zelenka grinned. "If I say yes, will you join me?"

"I'll bring beer," John offered.

Something was niggling at the back of Rodney's consciousness. Aha: that was it. "You're supposed to wave some plants and a citrus fruit," he accused.

Zelenka smiled, surprised. "You do know something about Sukkot."

"Yes, I remember the part where one of your ritual implements could kill me."

Zelenka rolled his eyes. "In the absence of the Biblical four species, I will use local alternatives. Non-toxic."

"Tell me the symbolism," Teyla suggested, "and I can help you find appropriate substitutes."

Botany. Rodney shuddered. "Right, I'm off to the lab," he said, pushing back his chair and taking his lunch tray in his hands.

"Leaving so soon?" John asked, slouched back in his chair in a way that made Rodney want to kneel between his legs. Rodney cleared his throat and forced his eyes up to John's face. This time John was wearing an expression that said he knew exactly what Rodney was thinking.

"Well, if I'm going to knock off work early to help build this thing, I'd better get things done now," Rodney said. "Oh, come on, you knew I was going to help."

"I did," Zelenka agreed.

"Later," John said. Okay, that was definitely a facial expression of promise. Rodney smiled to himself as he walked toward the tray drop-off corner, his mind filled with joyful visions of liaisons to come.


End file.
